Ear clip

ABSTRACT

AN EAR CLIP FOR FASTENING THE EAR RING PROPER TO THE EAR COMPRISING NO SPRINGS BUT HAVING A CLAMPING LEG (OF ORDINARY MATERIAL, METAL OR OTHERS) WHICH CAN BE POSITIONED TO THE DESIRED CLAMPING PRESSURE WHERE IT CAN LOCK ITSELF AGAINST ACCIDENTAL OPENING, BY A CONSTRUCTION WHICH CAUSES THE CLAMPING LEG TO EXERT ITS PRESSURE INDIRECTLY, ITS MOVEMENT BEING SIDE WAYS INSTEAD OF PERPENDICULAR.

Sept. 20, 1971 Ejg asz 3,605,2l1

EAR cLIP Filed Nov. 24, 1969 w rra ac United States Patent O 3,605,211 EAR CLIP Eugene Grosz, 387 Grand St., New York, N.Y.

Filed Nov. 24, 1969, Ser. No. 879,095 Int. Cl. A44c 7/00 U.S. Cl. 24-248JE 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to clips and particularly ear clips which serve to secure the ear ring proper to the ear. The ear clips in general use consist of a bracket which provides a fulcrum around which a clamping leg is movable toward or away from the ear (or more properly the ear lobe), the direction of the movement being perpendicular (90 degrees) to the ear lobe.

Whether the clamping is accomplished by the Spring pressure of the clamping leg or by the leg being simply pushed against the ear lobe therefore depending solely on the tightness of the fulcrum joint to hold it in place, the counter pressure being also perpendicular to the plane of the ear lobe tends to open up the clamping leg.

It is evident that n order to avoid the chance opening up either too much pressure is needed resulting in a pinching effect or one must provide means to regulate the clamping pressure lessening it hut at the same time increasing the hazard for a chance opening up.

The invention differs from the above mentioned types by introducing a radically different approach of clamping. According to the teaching of the invention the clamping leg moves not n a perpendicular direction toward or away from the ear lobe but in a line that forms an angle of less than 90 degrees with the plane of the ear lobe.

As it will be explained in details the result will be a smooth adjustability of the clamping pressure. Also there is an inherent property in the system n that the clamping leg can lock itself at the clamping position against the likelihood of a chance opening up.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the ear clip;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view through A-A in FIG. 1 with the clamping leg shown in open position;

3 ,6 05 ,Zl l Patented Sept. 20, 1971 "Ice FIG. 3 is a rear view of the ear clip with but the respective positions of the clamping leg 10 and the frontispiece 14 of the bracket 11 being shown;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical representation of the working principle of the ear clip.

Referring to the FIGS. l to 4, of the drawing the clamping leg is identied by the numeral 10 and is attached to the bracket 11 by the rivet 12 which serves as fulcrum around which the leg can swing. In FIG. 2 the bracket has frontispiece 14 being in the same plane with the ear lobe 13. The rear piece 15 of the bracket is in angular relation with the frontispiece 14. The clamping leg being attached to the rear portion 15 swings in the direction of the arrow 20 which direction is n an angle of less than degrees to the plane of the ear lobe.

FIG. 3 shows the clamping leg 10 in the act of being swung to a clamping position. Once the leg passes the center line 17 into the vquadrant 18 it becomes automatically locked because the tendency to open would be on a pull in the direction of the arrow 19 which pull in turn will move the bracket leaving t-he clamping leg Stationary. The leg 10 not being free to move away from the ear lobe n the direction perpendicular to it a downward pull shown by the arrow 21 in FIG. 1 will not cause an opening up.

The gist of the invention is the angular movement of the clamping leg in relation to the ear lobe. The bracket and clamping leg as used in the drawing and the description served to illustrate the teaching of the invention so any changes in their shape or design should not indicate a deviation from t-he invention.

I claim:

1. In an ear ring a clamping leg supported by means to provide a pivot axis around whch it can swing the whole constructed n such a manner that the direction of the clamping leg's swing is along a line which forms an angle of less than 90 degrees which the plane of the ear lobe againt which the clamping leg is pressing for the purpose of surely holding the ear ring onto said ear lobe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 627,742 6/ 1899 Arnold 24-248.6UX

FOREIGN PATENTS 840,252 1/ 1939 France 63-l4B DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 63-14 

